Process for the production of photographs with any desired background.



No. 858,162. PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

F. J. DISCHNER. PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS WITH ANYDESIRED BACKGROUND.

APPLICATION FILED DIJC.26. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

F. J. DISGHNBR. BROGESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS WITH ANYDESIRED BACKGROUND.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- posure.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

FRIEDRICH JULIUS DISCHNER, or ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, ASSTGNOR or ONE-HALFTO JOHN HENRY SMITH, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS WITH ANY DESIRED BACKGROUND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

A licati filed December 26, 1905- Serial No. 293,319.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH JULIUS DIsoHNER, a citizen of Germany,residing in Zurich, Switzerland, whose post-office address isNordstrasse 150. Zurich, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Processes for the Production of Photographs with AnyDesired Background; and I do hereby declare the following to 'be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

I have applied for patent in Germany on December 28th, 1904, applicationB15578; and in Austria on December 9th, 1905.

This invention for the production of photographs with any desiredbackground consists in giving a double exposure to the subject in thefirst instance as a silhouette against a white background and through apositive picture background transparency placed in close proximity withthe sensitive plate, and in the second instance as a light-reflectingbody against a black background but with- I out the picturetransparency; or the two exposures may be made in the reverse order.

The advantages of this improved process compared with existing processesare 1st that only one plate is required for both exposures and 2nd thatthe subject of the photograph is imprinted upon the plate in naturallydefined outlines by direct exposure, the background being brought intointimate connection with the model without the intervention of anyvignette or artificial device.

Figure 1 shows, diagrammatically, the subject and apparatus during thefirst exposure; and, Fig. 2- shows, diagrammatically, the subject andapparatus during the second ex- Fig. 3 is a print from the negativewhich would result on developing the plate after the first exposure inthe case where the image of the background transparency is firstimpressed upon the plate; Fig. 4 is a print from the negative whichwould result on developing the plate after the first exposure in thecase where the image of the subject is first impressed upon the plate;and, Fig. 5 is a print from the composite negative such as would resultin that succession of exposures in which the'background is firstimpressed upon the plate.

- The application of the process is as follows: The plastic model (a) isplaced in a subdued light in front of a white background (1))transmitting much white light, so that the figure upon exposure anddevelopment would yield a silhouette picture. The subject is thenfocused in the camera (a) and the sensitive plate with a glass positivepicture background placed in front of it insertedin the camera. A shortexposure is then given whereby the latent image of the backgroundtransparency is impressed upon the plate with the exception of that partof it covered by the silhouette which has received no exposure.Immediately after the first exposure a black background Fig. II is letdown in front of the white background or the white-background may beraised or removed so as to bring a black background into action, and atthe same time the positive picture background is removed from thesensitive plate by folding down or such like device. The second exposureof the subject is then made as rap-' idly after the first as ispossible, the sub ect being strongly illuminated, preferably by flash orelectric light (g), the latent image of the subject thus filling in thespace left by the silhouette.

By adopting suitable arrangements the two exposures can be made within acouple of seconds so that the subject is unaware that the photograph isbeing taken diflerently from an ordinary portrait.

What I claim is:

1. The herein-described process for the production of photographs withany desired background consisting in giving to the subject a doubleexposure, interposing between the subject and the sensitive plate apositive picture transparency during one of said exposures andsimultaneously presenting to the sensitive plate a light background, andremoving said transparency during the other exposure and simultaneouslypresentmg to the sensitive plate a dark background, substantially asdescribed.

2. The herein-described process for the production of photographs withany desired background consisting in giving to the sub ject a doubleexposure, interposmg between the subject and the sensitive plate and inICC close proximity to the latter a positive pic- Q seams turetransparency during one of said-exposures and simultaneously presentingto the sensitive plate a light background, and removing saidtransparency during the other exposure and simultaneously presenting tothe sensitive plate a dark background, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I' have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

FRIEDRICH JULIUS DISCllNlllt.

Witnesses:

HERMANN HUBER, A. LIEBERKNECHT.

